Effects of an In-house Entry Test on the Post-Foundation Students at an Omani College of Technology

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated why a large number of test-takers show a low performance in four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) offered in an entry test used by a College of Technology in Oman to place students in advanced diploma and bachelor’s degree programs. The main research question was meant to find out what difficulties the test takers face in the three tests (Listening, reading, and writing) in two semesters. The study analyzed the entry test results for two semesters including survey results obtained from the test takers regarding the difficulties experienced by them in the three tests and an analysis of writing answer scripts. The findings indicate that most test takers were not qualified enough to pursue their studies in the advanced diploma or bachelor’s degree programs due to their low performance in the entry test. The findings, moreover, suggest that the current placement test poses difficulties for most test-takers. Therefore, based on the findings, the possible reasons for the low performance of the test takers and the fairness of the entry test are explicitly discussed and finally, suggestions and recommendations for addressing the issue of the current entry test are offered.

Relationships Between Thai EFL Learners’ Factors, Intelligibility, and Comprehensibility Towards Varieties of English

This study aims to investigate intelligibility levels of Thai EFL learners, relationship between intelligibility and learners’ variables, and relationship between intelligibility and comprehensibility scores toward varieties of English. Seventy-five students were recruited as a sample group through stratified random sampling technique. Seven research instruments were used in the study, including a quick placement test, a questionnaire, an intelligibility test, an accent familiarity judgment report, a comprehensibility test, an attitudinal test, and four speech samples produced by speakers of 4 different nationalities. Data were quantitatively analyzed by means of arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The findings revealed that Thai EFL learners received high scores in their intelligibility tests for all speech samples. Thai speaker was rated as the most intelligible to the learners, while American speaker was rated as the least intelligible one. Correlations between intelligibility and other learners’ variables were found only in accent familiarity, language proficiency, and attitude. A significant correlation was also found between intelligibility and comprehensibility scores towards varieties of English of Thai EFL learners.

Visual Mnemonic Technique : An Effective Learning Strategy

This study was designed to investigate the impact of visual mnemonic technique on young and adult Iranian English learnersʹ vocabulary learning. The current study followed quasi- experimental design. 48 female students were selected based on their performance on Quick Placement Test. The purpose of the QPT was to homogenize the participants based on their proficiency level. The participants were divided into four groups, two experimental and two control groups. Each group consisted of 12 participants. Prior to the treatment, the participants of both groups were given a pretest to determine the knowledge of vocabulary in the experimental and control groups. Then the experimental groups received the visual mnemonic technique for 8 sessions. The control groups went through a traditional method of teaching vocabulary. After 8 sessions, a posttest was administered to all groups. Two-way between-groups ANOVA was run to the results of the vocabulary tests to look at the individual and joint effect of the independent variables on dependent variable. It was concluded that mnemonic technique significantly affected Iranian pre- intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary leaning. The study exhibited that the experimental group who received instruction on mnemonic technique outperformed their counterparts in posttest of vocabulary. However, the differences between the effects of mnemonic technique for young and adult learners who received the specific treatment were not statistically significant (P≥ .05).

Effects of an In-house Entry Test on the Post-Foundation Students at an Omani College of Technology

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated why a large number of test-takers show a low performance in four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) offered in an entry test used by a College of Technology in Oman to place students in advanced diploma and bachelor’s degree programs. The main research question was meant to find out what difficulties the test takers face in the three tests (Listening, reading, and writing) in two semesters. The study analyzed the entry test results for two semesters including survey results obtained from the test takers regarding the difficulties experienced by them in the three tests and an analysis of writing answer scripts. The findings indicate that most test takers were not qualified enough to pursue their studies in the advanced diploma or bachelor’s degree programs due to their low performance in the entry test. The findings, moreover, suggest that the current placement test poses difficulties for most test-takers. Therefore, based on the findings, the possible reasons for the low performance of the test takers and the fairness of the entry test are explicitly discussed and finally, suggestions and recommendations for addressing the issue of the current entry test are offered.

The Effect of Flipped Classroom on Iranian Adolescents: Elementary EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Recall and Retention

Vocabulary as an inseparable part of language learning has a vital role in communication, which requires to be taught in new approaches. A quasi-experimental method was used to achieve the aims of the current study. In doing this, 48 Iranian female adolescent elementary learners (13–17) were assigned based on the Oxford Quick Placement Test from 70 female students to take part in 4 sessions of treatment. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 24) and a control group (n = 24). The experimental group was taught using the flipped classroom, while the control group was exposed to the conventional methods. Research instruments involving an English language placement test, vocabulary pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed test (the study lasted for 9 weeks). A list of 28 target words was given to both groups. Words were selected by the Lawshe content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) to have validity. The findings of ANCOVA indicated that conducting the flipped classrooms has significant impacts on Iranian adolescent elementary students’ vocabulary recall and retention. Hence, it is an applicable approach that carries important implications for teachers, foreign language syllabus designers, and curriculum planners.

The relationship between the anxiety level of Iranian elementary EFL learners and their vocabulary learning strategies

The current study aimed at examining the relationship between anxiety level of Iranian elementary English as a foreign language learners and the strategies that they adopt for learning English vocabulary. To this end, based on the performance of the participants on the Quick Placement Test, the researcher recruited 100 participants through availability sampling. To determine the strategies that the participants employ for learning English vocabulary, Schmitt’s taxonomy of vocabulary learning (VL) strategies questionnaire was administered. Also, the Spearman correlation was run to determine the correlation between various levels of anxiety and different VL strategies. The findings of the current study indicated that the effects of anxiety can adversely affect a person’s use of VL strategies. Likewise, when there is an increase in anxiety, VL strategy use decreases to a significant extent. Keywords: Vocabulary learning, strategies, foreign language, classroom, anxiety scale.

The vocabulary learning strategy use of Iranian elementary EFL learners

In order to learn vocabulary efficiently, the utilisation of learning strategies is very important and surely it depends on learners’ attempts. The current study aimed at examining the strategies that Iranian elementary English as a foreign language (EFL) learners adopt for learning English vocabulary. To this end, based on the performance of the participants on the Quick Placement Test, the researcher recruited 100 participants through availability sampling. To determine the strategies that the participants employ for learning English vocabulary, Schmitt’s taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) questionnaire was administered. The findings of the current study indicated that Iranian elementary EFL students were medium VLS users. The social strategy was found as the most frequently used category of strategies, followed by memory, determination, cognitive and metacognitive strategy. Keywords: Language, learning strategies, vocabulary, Iranian, elementary.

Teaching Speaking and Listening Skills through Audio-Lingual Versus Conventional Methods of Instruction: Which Method Is More Effective?

The goal of this study was to check the impact of the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) compared to traditional training on enhancing intermediate EFL learners' listening and speaking abilities. An Oxford Quick Placement Test was given to 105 participants to meet the study's goals, and 78 participants were chosen in the end. They were then randomly assigned to the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG). Validated listening and speaking tests were given to them as a pre-test before they began treatment. The EG subsequently started treatment, which included teaching and learning listening and speaking skills through ALM. At the same time, the CG received traditional training, which included instruction based on the teacher's instances and exercises. The two groups were given the identical listening and speaking test as the post-test after 20 sessions of treatment. In addition, after the post-test was administered, a questionnaire comprising twelve items was distributed among 15 teachers teaching at different institutes to seek their views and perspectives regarding the application of ALM in teaching listening and speaking skills. Paired and Independent Samples t-tests were used to assess the data. The results revealed that the EG outperformed the CG by a substantial margin. The EG outperformed the CGs in both skills. The findings imply that ALM may be utilized in English classes to help EFL students improve their listening and speaking abilities.

Teaching Speaking and Listening Skills through Audio-Lingual Versus Conventional Methods of Instruction: Which Method Is More Effective?

The goal of this study was to check the impact of the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM) compared to traditional training on enhancing intermediate EFL learners' listening and speaking abilities. An Oxford Quick Placement Test was given to 105 participants to meet the study's goals, and 78 participants were chosen in the end. They were then randomly assigned to the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG). Validated listening and speaking tests were given to them as a pre-test before they began treatment. The EG subsequently started treatment, which included teaching and learning listening and speaking skills through ALM. At the same time, the CG received traditional training, which included instruction based on the teacher's instances and exercises. The two groups were given the identical listening and speaking test as the post-test after 20 sessions of treatment. In addition, after the post-test was administered, a questionnaire comprising twelve items was distributed among 15 teachers teaching at different institutes to seek their views and perspectives regarding the application of ALM in teaching listening and speaking skills. Paired and Independent Samples t-tests were used to assess the data. The results revealed that the EG outperformed the CG by a substantial margin. The EG outperformed the CGs in both skills. The findings imply that ALM may be utilized in English classes to help EFL students improve their listening and speaking abilities.